Rad said: Altec apparently cut costs in the wrong places: in the electronics and drivers. If you’re going to listen only to spoken word or old-time radio, these headphones will do; but if you want even semi-serious sound quality, be willing to spend a few bucks more.

Brent said: If you want top-notch, audiophile-grade sound you can enjoy at home and easily take along to your office, cubicle, or hotel room, I can’t think of a more practical and cost-effective way to get it. This is $4000 worth of sound for $400.

Brent said: In my experience, the Blue Ellas were unique in their ability to present all elements of a stereo mix cleanly and clearly, without resorting to unnatural-sounding emphasis of any part of the audioband. It’s hard for me to imagine who wouldn’t like their sound.

S. Andrea said: Bowers & Wilkins’ latest headphone model isn’t just the company’s own best to date; it deserves to be compared against other truly high-end headphones from the best manufacturers, even models priced much higher.